The present invention relates to a system and method for managing the interworking of network components, and in particular, to a network management method and system using passive monitoring and proactive management.
A data or telecommunication network consists of various kinds of interconnected network elements (NEs). For example, in a wireless network there are network elements such as base stations, mobile switching centers (MSCs), and home location registers (HLRs); a data network contains various routers, gateways, and servers. The various operations of NEs together constitute network services in a distributed fashion. Traditional network management approaches rely on periodic status polling of individual NEs, which often results in unnecessary details and excessive management traffic. Moreover, the lack of systematic approach to modeling network-wide behaviors cripples the ability of proactively taking early actions against potential catastrophic events.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method is provided for managing a network that includes a set of interconnected network elements (NEs). A network management system (NMS) is responsible for monitoring and controlling the NE""s, and a management agent in each NE interacts with the NMS on behalf of the NE. The system and method utilizes (a) a behavior transition model based on NE status or xe2x80x9chealthxe2x80x9d indicators for passive monitoring, (b) a status updating mechanism with adjustable or xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d parameters based on operating conditions, (c) a derivation procedure for correlating ripple effects, and (d) an early-warning model for proactive management.
In accordance with the present invention, the NMS and the agents of the NEs collaboratively decide a proper communication strategy in terms of status updating frequency and details. Communication strategies are adjusted based on macro models of individual NEs as well as of the entire network. Depending on which situations an NE is in, the management information communicated between the NE and the NMS could be fine-grained or coarse, and the communication could be frequent or sparse.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an element behavior macro model defines the operating regions of each NE in terms of combinations of selected parameter values. The element behavior macro model also describes the causes for transitions among regions, and facilitates a layered approach to defining each NE""s status. This approach simplifies formulating an external view of the NE""s behaviors.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a flexible updating mechanism ties changes in updating rules (in terms of frequency and granularity) to transitions among operating regions. An NE or its associated proxy initiates such rules changes based on its local status to provide just-in-time updates. NMS can override the selection of rules in the interest of investigating network-wide behaviors.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a network trend derivation procedure correlates causes of transitions in NE behavior models to capture ripple effects. The derived network trend model is the basis for passive monitoring and proactive network management.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an early warning model derived from the network trend model reveals dangerous paths towards catastrophes. The NMS passively monitors updates from NE agents based on the trend model, and injects control whenever necessary to deviate the network from dangerous paths.
When the invention is properly implemented, it enables two powerful network management methods, namely passive monitoring and proactive management. Passive monitoring, based on an agent-initiated, situation-dependent updating mechanism, provides just-in-time status updates and minimizes management traffic overhead. On the other hand, proactive management, through a manager-anticipated, trend-driven preventive control, avoids catastrophic network failures and serious quality of service (QoS) degradation. A derived network-wide behavior model facilitates effective fault diagnosis and disaster avoidance. The network management system and method of the present invention can be implemented using various standard management protocols, such as SNMP.